Escutcheon

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: es=cutch=eon

CIDE DICTIONARY

Escutcheon, n. [OF. escusson, F. écusson, from OF. escu shield, F. écu. See Esquire, Scutcheon.].

•  The surface, usually a shield, upon which bearings are marshaled and displayed. The surface of the escutcheon is called the field, the upper part is called the chief, and the lower part the base (see Chiff, and Field.). That side of the escutcheon which is on the right hand of the knight who bears the shield on his arm is called dexter, and the other side sinister.  [1913 Webster]

  " The two sides of an escutcheon are respectively designated as dexter and sinister, as in the cut, and the different parts or points by the following names: A, Dexter chief point; B, Middle chief point; C, Sinister chief point; D, Honor or color point; E, Fesse or heart point; F, Nombrill or navel point; G, Dexter base point; H, Middle base point; I, base point."  [1913 Webster]
•  A marking upon the back of a cow's udder and the space above it (the perineum), formed by the hair growing upward or outward instead of downward. It is esteemed an index of milking qualities.  C. L. Flint.  [1913 Webster]
•  That part of a vessel's stern on which her name is written.  R. H. Dane, Jr.  [1913 Webster]
•  A thin metal plate or shield to protect wood, or for ornament, as the shield around a keyhole.  [1913 Webster]
•  The depression behind the beak of certain bivalves; the ligamental area.  [1913 Webster]

Escutcheon of pretense, an escutcheon used in English heraldry to display the arms of the bearer's wife; -- not commonly used unless she an heiress. Cf. Impalement.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Escutcheon, n.
1 a shield or emblem bearing a coat of arms.
2 the middle part of a ship's stern where the name is placed.
3 the protective plate around a keyhole or door-handle.

Derivative

escutcheoned adj.

Etymology

AF & ONF escuchon ult. f. L scutum shield

THESAURUS

Escutcheon

achievement, alerion, animal charge, annulet, argent, armorial bearings, armory, arms, azure, bandeau, bar, bar sinister, baton, bearings, bend, bend sinister, billet, blazon, blazonry, bordure, broad arrow, cadency mark, canton, chaplet, charge, chevron, chief, coat of arms, cockatrice, coronet, crescent, crest, cross, cross moline, crown, device, difference, differencing, eagle, ermine, ermines, erminites, erminois, falcon, fess, fess point, field, file, flanch, fleur-de-lis, fret, fur, fusil, garland, griffin, gules, gyron, hatchment, helmet, heraldic device, honor point, impalement, impaling, inescutcheon, label, lion, lozenge, mantling, marshaling, martlet, mascle, metal, motto, mullet, nombril point, octofoil, or, ordinary, orle, pale, paly, pean, pheon, purpure, quarter, quartering, rose, sable, saltire, scutcheon, shield, spread eagle, subordinary, tenne, tincture, torse, tressure, unicorn, vair, vert, wreath, yale

ROGET THESAURUS

Escutcheon

Indication

N indication, symbolism, symbolization, semiology, semiotics, semeiology, semeiotics, Zeitgeist, characteristic, diagnostic, lineament, feature, trait, fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint, cloven hoof, footfall, recognition (memory), diagnostic, divining rod, detector, sign, symbol, index, indice, indicator, point, pointer, exponent, note, token, symptom, dollar sign, dollar mark, type, figure, emblem, cipher, device, representation, epigraph, motto, posy, gesture, gesticulation, pantomime, wink, glance, leer, nod, shrug, beck, touch, nudge, dactylology, dactylonomy, freemasonry, telegraphy, chirology, byplay, dumb show, cue, hint, clue, clew, key, scent, signal, signal post, rocket, blue light, watch fire, watch tower, telegraph, semaphore, flagstaff, cresset, fiery cross, calumet, heliograph, guidon, headlight, mark, scratch, line, stroke, dash, score, stripe, streak, tick, dot, point, notch, nick, print, imprint, impress, impression, keyboard symbols, printing symbols, red letter, italics, sublineation, underlining, bold font, jotting, note, annotation, reference, blaze, cedilla, guillemets, hachure, quotation marks, ", double quotes, " ", parentheses, "( )", brackets, "", braces, "", left arrow, "<", right arrow, ">", forward slash, "/", backward slash, "\", exclamation point, "!", commercial at, "@", pound sign, "#", percent sign, "%", carat, "", ampersand, "&", asterisk, "*", hyphen, "-", dash, "-", "_", em dash, "--", plus sign, "+", equals sign, "=", question mark, "?", period, ", ", semicolon, ", ", colon, ":", comma, ", ", apostrophe, "'", single quote, "'", tilde, "~", badge, criterion, countercheck, countermark, countersign, counterfoil, duplicate, tally, label, ticket, billet, letter, counter, check, chip, chop, dib, totem, tessera, card, bill, witness, voucher, stamp, cacher, trade mark, Hall mark, signature, mark, autograph, autography, attestation, hand, hand writing, sign manual, cipher, seal, sigil, signet, hand and seal, paraph, brand, superscription, indorsement, endorsement, password, watchword, catchword, security card, pass, passkey, credentials, open sesame, timbrology, mot de passe, mot du guet, pass-parole, shibboleth, title, heading, docket, address card, visiting card, carte de visite, insignia, banner, banneret, bannerol, bandrol, flag, colors, streamer, standard, eagle, labarum, oriflamb, oriflamme, figurehead, ensign, pennon, pennant, pendant, burgee, blue Peter, jack, ancient, gonfalon, union jack, banderole, old glory, quarantine flag, vexillum, yellow-flag, yellow jack, tricolor, stars and stripes, bunting, heraldry, crest, coat of arms, arms, armorial bearings, hatchment, escutcheon, scutcheon, shield, supporters, livery, uniform, cockade, epaulet, chevron, garland, love knot, favor, beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, cock, weathercock, guidepost, handpost, fingerpost, directing post, signpost, pillars of Hercules, pharos, bale-fire, beacon-fire, l'etoile du Nord, landmark, seamark, lighthouse, balize, polestar, loadstar, lodestar, cynosure, guide, address, direction, name, sign, signboard, warning, omen, prefigurement, trace, record, warning &c, alarm, scepter, trophy, gauge, milestone, milepost, brand, fool's cap, check, telltale, test, mileage ticket, milliary, notification, advertisement, word of command, call, bugle call, trumpet call, bell, alarum, cry, battle cry, rallying cry, angelus, reveille, sacring bell, sanctus bell, exposition &c (explanation), proof, pattern, indicating, indicative, indicatory, denotative, connotative, diacritical, representative, typical, symbolic, pantomimic, pathognomonic, symptomatic, characteristic, demonstrative, diagnostic, exponential, emblematic, armorial, individual, known by, recognizable by, indicated, pointed, marked, denotable, indelible, in token of, symbolically, in dumb show, ecce signum, ex ungue leonem, ex pede Herculem, vide ut supra, vultus ariete fortior.